Retail therapy: Kate, Karen and Kirsten have got the goods

Time to stop your sobbing in Cuba St

Kate Sylvester is expanding her empire and opening her first store in Wellington. From February 17, fans of the Auckland designer will be able to swing by 32 Cuba St and pick up something from her fabulous autumn/winter collection Stop Your Sobbing. Even more ruinously, they get to accessorise with jewellery and handbags from Teresa Ruiz, Madame Mooi and Sophie Kyron, as well as Ginger & Smart's spa collection of handcreams and candles.

Get schooled up

Hip British magazine i-D has played favourites and picked 160 of the world's most important fashion designers for its latest encyclopedia, Fashion Now 2 (by founder and editor-in-chief Terry Jones and Susie Rushton, Taschen, $89.99). Of course, all the big names are there such as, Marni, Balenciaga, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Manolo Blahnik and Prada, as well as brands like Nike and Adidas. Then, there's the super-cool breed that i-D is so fond of. Designers like Ann-Sofie Back, As Four, Bless, Eley Kishimoto, Jonathan Saunders and our own Karen Walker. There's background on the designers as well as a question and answer section by each of them. Very telling they are too. Agent Provocateur were asked who they had in mind when they designed. "Girls, girls, girls: sex kittens, sex bombs, seductresses, naughty girls, secretaries, schoolgirls and Kate Moss." And this from Walker on whether fashion can still have a political ambition: "Sure, but at the end of the day if the pants don't make your bum look smaller no one's going to wear them." But it's the fabulous images taken from 25 years worth of i-D that really make this a great fashion book.

Boho back in business

So what if everyone's demanding an end to boho? Secretly, we know there's comfort to be found in ethnic gear. Besides, it's so pretty. Just as well then, that Kirsten Tweedie's great shop Maharani will be open for business again from tomorrow for a month only. She's got a new shipment of silk kaftans, hand-embroidered vintage quilts, 100 per cent cashmere shawls and more clothes at 422 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn.